


Who Could Do This? (Fictober Submission)

by PerpetualSpinster



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Kid T'Challa (Marvel), Multi, kid nakia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 10:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16830934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerpetualSpinster/pseuds/PerpetualSpinster
Summary: T'Challa and Nakia play around the palace in forbidden territory.





	Who Could Do This? (Fictober Submission)

“Ready or not, here I come!” T’Challa runs through the corridors of the Royal Palace of Wakanda, in search of his friend Nakia. Their favorite thing to do was pretend to be explorers, archaeologists, detectives, or anything that would give them a reason to be nosy around palace grounds. Today was no different, but with a game of hide and seek.

T’Challa jogged around to Nakia’s usual hangouts: the lab for processing vibranium, the warehouse where weapons were stored and manufactured, the Dora Milaje trainee barracks, or anywhere else that would surely cause T’Challa great trouble to be caught in. Nakia was the best hider, for she could always sneak past these barriers without notice, whereas T’Challa, being the son of a King, had a few more eyes on him at all times.

“Nakia! Where are you? You are hiding too well this time!” T’Challa yelled looking around and beginning to worry. There was one time Nakia fell down an elevator shaft to the vibranium mines and it caused quite a stir in the kingdom, although she only got minor cuts and bruises from it.

“Haha! You can’t catch me!” Nakia darted around a corner, past some shrubbery that led to the catacombs.

T’Challa gritted his teeth, determined to get to Nakia once and for all. 

Their voices echoed throughout the tunnel as they laughed and screamed from the excitement of the chase.

“T’Challa is a stinky head! T’Challa is too slow! T’Challa you can’t beat me! Na Na Na!” Nakia sings out as she journeys the catacombs with light graceful strides, while T’Challa keeps slipping in his sandals along the damp stoney surface.

“I–OW! I am not! I will get you Nakia! You will eat your words!” T’Challa threatens as he picks his pace up.

Nakia reaches the end of the catacombs, stopping to look around for T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, as they reached the dwelling place for the Garden of the Heart Shaped Herb. T’Challa was unaware of her stop as he tried in vain to slow himself down but his sandals failed him once again, providing no resistance as he slid and crashed straight into Nakia’s backside.

They screamed as they tumbled inside, rolling over each other until Nakia was able to catch herself from falling into the garden. T’Challa was barely so lucky, as he came to a halt against a torch stand.

Nakia catches her breath. “T’Challa! Why didn’t you stop! Your Baba could’ve been in here!”

T’Challa rolls onto his knees, shaking his head to right himself. “I didn’t know you stopped! Why did you stop?!”

Nakia stands up, wiping down her emerald tunic dress. “I told you, your Baba comes down here! Or any of his court could’ve been down here tending! We would’ve been dead meat!”

T’Challa holds himself up by a corner of the pillar to stand up. In doing so, his elbow meets the rim of the bowl of fire resting on the top, causing it to tip.

“T’CHALLA! WATCH-”

NAkia tried to warn him but it was too late, as the bowl toppled over to the garden, catching flames to some petals. 

“No, no no! Nakia, help, please!” T’Challa cried out as he cried to pick up the bowl, jumping back from its heat.

“Use your shirt, genius!” Nakia ordered as she put her hands under the hem of her skirt to hold the bowl, T’Challa follows taking the other side.

They use all the strength their little bodies can muster to place the bowl back on the stand before seeing the scene in the garden. 

A couple of herbs whittled under the heat of the flame, which became contagious to the surrounding plants.

“Stomp them out!” Nakia instructed, hopping down to stamp her feet onto the flames. T’Challa coughed as some smoke hit his lungs, but did as he was told. 

They both bent over, catching their breath from the fire and from the work they put in to make a really bad situation stop in its tracks.

Nakia wipes her brow. “I ought to have made the fire keep going, that way a dummy like you couldn’t be Black Panther.”

T’Challa stuck his lip out. “You don’t mean that Nakia. You are so frigid, sometimes!”

Nakia crosses her arms walking back to the catacombs. “It is true! What King is weak like you are, huh? Your Baba is smart and caring and strong, and wouldn’t let any harm come to anyone. But trouble seems to just follow you!”

Nakia enters the catacombs, making her way back to the surface of the palace grounds, while T’Challa sulked behind her. 

The children made their way to the King’s residence. “Nakia, do you still want to play or are you still mad at me?”

Nakia exhales deeply. “I am not mad, T’Challa. You are my best friend. But you have to get a little more smart and brave if you want to grow up like your Baba. I worry for whomever you claim for a Queen one day.”

As T’Challa and Nakia patch things up and head for T’Challa’s room, his foot catches the cord of a lamp, yanking it down to the floor with a crash. Ramonda, his mother calls out.

“T’Challa? Is that you, son?” 

T’Challa looks at Nakia, who holds her hand over her mouth in shock before signaling him to go upstairs hastily. T’Challa makes his way to his room, closing the door and balling himself up while he awaits his mother’s fury.

Ramonda walks down the steps, with her infant Shuri in tow. “Nakia, I did not know you were coming over. How are you?”

Nakia flashes her winning smile. “I am good, Queen Ramonda. I apologize if I made a disturbance.”

“Oh, it is no problem, just make yourself– what happened here?” Ramonda looks down at the broken shards of lamp scattered around the floor. “Who could do this?”

Nakia hung her head dramatically. “It was I, Queen Ramonda. I was in such a rush to T’Challa’s room, that I…broke your lamp…”

Ramonda gave Nakia a pitiful look. “Hold your head up child. It is ok, you have no reason to feel ashamed. Thank you for being forthcoming about it. But I must say that T’Challa has some work to do, so he will not be able to play today.”

Nakia nodded. “Of course, Queen Ramonda. I will be back another time. And Princess Shuri…” Nakia curtsied to a babbling baby Shuri who squealed with glee at the gesture. Once Nakia left, Ramonda called for T’Challa again.

“Yes mother?” T’Challa says innocently as he walks down the stairs.

“Why did you have Nakia lie for your actions?” Ramonda said, glaring at her son.

“I didn’t! She–”

“I know she did not break that lamp. Nakia couldn’t trip and fall over a polar bear in a blizzard in the Jabari mountains, much less a lamp cord! Why did you not tell me?”

T’Challa tears up. “I was scared of what you might do, or think.”

Ramonda’s face softens as Shuri laughs at her brother’s tears. “It should not matter the consequence. If you are wrong, acknowledge it. The punishment is far worse for omitting the truth, for you are covering people’s eyes from reality. You need to learn the word, ‘transparency.’ You could be King one day, you do not want to rule people who trust you with a cloud of regret hovering over you. It will eat you up, ruin your legacy. It may be a lamp today, but it could be a brother or sister’s life tomorrow. Understand?”

T’Challa wipes his tears, nodding. 

“Now clean this up and help me with your sister so I can cook dinner before your father gets home.”


End file.
